Jack Nicholson's Surprising Early TV Roles and What His Life Looks Like Today

Before he was zooming down highways in Easy Rider, before he was asking for five easy pieces, and long before he was leading a rebellion in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the legendary Jack Nicholson made some guest appearances in a place you might not expect: Mayberry. That is right, the three-time Academy Award winner was actually in multiple episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. Shazam! I always find it a little wild when actors we know for big, intense movie roles pop up in much calmer TV shows from earlier in their careers. It gives a fun look at their journey.

The guy who famously busted through a door shouting "Here's Johnny" in The Shining was the same guy who appeared in season eight’s "Opie Finds a Baby" episode. The name of the episode pretty much says it all. Opie and his friend Arnold find a baby and try to find some new parents for the little one. But they do not need to find guardians for long because the baby’s actual parents show up to claim their kid. Nicholson plays Mr. Garland, a man who admits to his wife that he lost his temper. But that is no reason to abandon their baby on the steps of the Mayberry sheriff’s office, he says. He certainly wastes no time blaming someone when they face Andy Taylor. He claims "My wife’s made a terrible mistake!"

I think one of the funniest parts of that episode is when Sheriff Taylor tells Nicholson and his wife, Mrs. Garland, that the next time they leave their baby, he will have to tell the welfare department. It is a very polite warning for such a serious situation. It just goes to show how different things were in TV dramas back then compared to how intense they are today.

Jack Nicholson's Second Character On The Andy Griffith Show Was More What We Expect From Him

From Negligent Father To A Suspicious Character Accused Of Stealing A Television Set

Nicholson played more to type, or at least closer to the kind of characters we would expect later, when he showed up just a season later in "Aunt Bee, the Juror." The careless father Mr. Garland had gone back to Mount Pilot. In his place we saw Nicholson as Marvin Jenkins. Marvin was accused of stealing a television set. But Nicholson, as Marvin, had a reasonable explanation for what happened. He said the TV was his all along. He was simply taking it to the appliance store for a repair. When he found the front door locked, Marvin said he did what any innocent man would do. He looked for another way in. A back door was open, and Marvin let himself in. When no one was there he left with his TV. A passerby called out the alleged theft. Marvin realized he looked suspicious so he ran off. This certainly did not help his case.

Despite there being no actual proof of his innocence, Aunt Bee caused a hung jury by casting the only "not guilty" vote. Andy, with some unlikely detective work, figured out that another guy had robbed the appliance store. This meant Nicholson’s Marvin was free to go. It is a fun little glimpse into the beginnings of a career that would become so famous for playing characters that were often morally gray or just a little bit off. These early TV roles show a side of Nicholson that many modern fans might not know existed.

Looking Back At Jack Nicholson's Film Career And Why Some 90s Movies Were Less Successful

Exploring Why Even A Hollywood Icon Had His Share Of Box Office Disappointments

Jack Nicholson might be one of the greatest movie stars in Hollywood history. However, his 1990 film called The Two Jakes, a sequel to Chinatown, did not do as well as it should have. Nicholson made a name for himself with certain roles in the late 1960s. He then went on to star in some of the biggest movies of the 1970s. He became a household name. He was known for his natural performances that were very different from the more formal acting of earlier times. Nicholson helped start the New Hollywood era in movies. Many of his films are considered among the best ever, largely because of his acting. Even after the New Hollywood era faded, Jack Nicholson continued to give excellent performances that suited his age. The 80s and 90s were still a strong period for him.

He stretched his acting abilities in wild roles like The Joker in Batman. He also took on more quiet parts such as in The Crossing Guard. Even if the movies themselves were not always perfect, you could always count on Nicholson to deliver a performance that could improve any script. But he was not always a box office draw in the 1990s. The disappointing performance of some of his films from that time is still a bit surprising today.

The Two Jakes came out almost two decades after the original Chinatown in 1974. Nicholson returned to play Jake Gittes again. The story is set 10 years after the first film. It follows the private investigator as he gets caught up in another case that is much bigger than he thought. Despite getting mostly good reviews from critics, The Two Jakes was a financial flop. It only made $10 million against a $25 million budget. Movies can be unpredictable, but The Two Jakes should not have failed that badly. Nicholson even directed the movie, while Roman Polanski directed Chinatown. He built on the character, who was still tired from his last case. It is clear that the private investigator in The Two Jakes had grown since his tough experience in the 1940s. The movie’s updated 1950s setting was subtle but effective. The Two Jakes looks great as a noir film.

There are many reasons why The Two Jakes did not find an audience. It largely comes down to the fact that it was released in 1990. The movie had been stuck in development for years. 1990 might have been the worst year to release a sequel to Chinatown. The early 1990s was not a time for looking back. It was against the hopeful feeling of the 1980s. If it had come out later in the decade or earlier in the 1980s, The Two Jakes could have been a huge hit. Sadly the film arrived exactly when no one wanted it.

Jack Nicholson's Life Away From The Movie Screens And His Close Family Ties

What The Beloved Actor Does Now And How He Stays Connected To His Children

Jack Nicholson rarely makes public appearances these days. However, he will always find time for his loved ones. The beloved, Oscar-winning actor, now 88, lives in Beverly Hills. He is a father to six children. Nicholson has a daughter named Jennifer, 61, with his ex-wife Sandra Knight. He has a son named Caleb, 54, with his Five Easy Pieces co-star Susan Anspach. His daughter Honey, 43, is with model Winnie Hollman. Daughters Lorraine, 35, and son Ray, 33, are with actress Rebecca Broussard. He also has a daughter Tessa, 30, with Jennine Gourin.

Nicholson has appeared in many well-known films such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Shining, The Departed, and Anger Management. While the Oscar winner has not said publicly that he has stopped acting, his last movie role was 15 years ago in the 2010 romantic comedy How Do You Know. Out of his six children, Nicholson seems closest to Lorraine and Ray. Both Lorraine and Ray have been seen with their dad at many public outings in Los Angeles. These include basketball games and other special events.

"We’ve always gotten along," he said in a 2010 interview. "I want to be inspirational, or some kind of good influence on them without overburdening them. It’s their time of life to find out who they are." Earlier this year, Lorraine shared a look at her family’s holiday celebrations. "The giving season," she wrote on Instagram in January. She posted pictures from the gathering. Lorraine included a sweet photo of her and Nicholson hugging.

Later that same year, Lorraine went with her dad to a rare public appearance at the SNL 50: The Anniversary Special. Nicholson sat in the audience next to his daughter. He introduced his friend Adam Sandler to the stage to sing a song. Before starting his performance, Sandler, 58, gave Nicholson a shout-out. He thanked him for coming to the event. "Yeah, baby! Let’s hear it for Jack, baby," the comedian joked. "Jack made it out tonight. Love you, brother."

While Ray did not make it to the SNL outing with the family, he has talked about his bond with his father. He said he has always looked up to The Shining star. "We’re very different people. I was born in 1992, he was born in 1937. The things that affect me don’t necessarily affect him. Obviously, I love him. He’s my inspiration," Ray told Deadline in October 2024. "I ate dinner with him every night. I studied it, that’s how I learned to be a human being. So, of course we’re gonna be kind of similar."

Beyond his children, Nicholson also helped his ex Anjelica Huston. He offered her home during the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year. The two had an on-again, off-again relationship from 1973 to 1990. They are still friends today. Huston, 73, shared in February, "I was in a car with three dogs, two cats, and the housekeeper [evacuating the wildfires], and he called and asked if I was all right and if I had someplace I was staying. That’s the bottom line with he and I – when the chips are down, he’s there." It is clear that even outside of the bright lights of Hollywood, Jack Nicholson maintains strong and lasting connections with the people he cares about.

Timothée Chalamet Is Giving Off Jack Nicholson Vibes At Basketball Games

The Young Actor's Courtside Style Draws Comparisons To A Hollywood Legend

If you thought that Timothée Chalamet would not travel to Indianapolis to watch his favorite Knicks beat the Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, then you clearly have not been paying attention. The Oscar-nominated actor seems to have put his work schedule on hold for the entire Knicks 2025 postseason. He spent at least one night of his Memorial Day weekend in the Midwest doing the same thing he has done for many nights over the last two months. He sat courtside at a professional basketball game. He wore a noticeable outfit. He sipped an ice-cold drink from a plastic cup. He screamed his head off for the Knicks. It helped that his team won by a tiny bit on Sunday evening. But by that point, Chalamet had already gained admiration for his latest playoffs-themed fashion statement.

For the fourth game in a row, Timmy wore custom clothes from the Los Angeles brand Chrome Hearts. This time it was a striped button-up shirt with a logo and bright blue pants. The pants had the label’s gothic-cross symbol sewn on them. In February, the brand famously made Timmy a full baby-pink outfit for the Berlin premiere of his Bob Dylan movie. The label has made many one-of-a-kind pieces for Chalamet to wear courtside in recent weeks. The actor is following in the footsteps of Spike Lee, who is known as the most outspoken and stylish Knicks fan of all time.

In Indiana, Chalamet wore his usual mix of expensive and everyday items. He had Oakley wraparound sunglasses with reddish lenses that let less light in. He wore new white Bapestas. He also had a gold Panthère de Cartier necklace. The actor represents the luxury jewelry brand. "Timothée Chalamet is progressively turning into Jack Nicholson with every passing Knicks playoff game," read one widely shared post on X. This post echoed many other people who saw the actor’s cool sunglasses and swept-back hair. They also saw his loud cheering. They connected the dots to fellow Hollywood basketball fan Nicholson. Nicholson is famous for his memorable courtside style as a long-time Lakers fan. Chalamet looked, perhaps more than ever, like a true movie star.